Why is Intensive Aphasia Treatment the best choice?

Intensive treatment is between 10-30 hours of therapy weekly over several weeks. This treatment schedule means that many therapy hours are provided in a concentrated manner over a shorter period of time. If you receive one month of outpatient speech-language therapy for two hours per week, it equals a total of 8 hours of therapy. At The Aphasia Center, 10 hours of therapy would be provided over 2 days– not one month. With constant cutbacks on speech therapy services, it may take even longer than one month to receive 10 hours of therapy.

Is there any difference between intensive and non-intensive treatment?

Yes. Intensive aphasia treatment has consistently produced larger gains than non-intensive treatment. Denes et al, (1996) showed that even people with severe aphasia did better in an intensive treatment schedule. In a different study, Hinckley & Craig (1998) found that participants did better in intensive treatment than the same people did in non-intensive treatment.

Intensive treatment produces larger effects because we can practice a larger range of skills over a greater amount of time. To make more improvements over a shorter period of time, intensive schedules are recommended.

What can I expect to gain from intensive aphasia treatment?

People with aphasia who participate in intensive treatment improve faster than when compared to non-intensive treatment. In some cases, certain communication skills will improve during intensive treatment that may not improve during non-intensive treatment. See our Case Studies section online for actual treatment results. Each person with aphasia is different, but each person makes progress. See our programs page for more information about what to expect.

What does the Aphasia Center do differently than outpatient facilities?

Our program is not the same treatment and tasks that you would receive at a typical outpatient facility. Instead of treating the aphasia, we treat the person. We focus more on gaining independence in real-life activities and offer a variety sessions.